AmaWaterways (Updated 2018)

The History of AmaWaterways

Family-owned and operated, AmaWaterways has been a passion project for its founders since its start in 2002. President Rudi Schreiner designed his first ship back in 1975 while sailing the Amazon for seven months. Since the completion of the Rhine-Main-Danube Canal in 1992, Rudi has been a driving force for river cruise travel—and for these efforts has been recognized as the “Most Innovative Cruise Executive” and has been presented the prestigious “Lifetime Achievement Award” by Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA).

Executive Vice President, Co-Founder and Co-Owner Kristin Karst brings extensive experience in luxury travel, river cruising and customer service to AmaWaterways. Rudi and Kristin partnered with Jimmy Murphy, a brilliant travel entrepreneur who built Brendan Vacations. His son Gary now carries on his father’s tradition in his role as Vice President of Sales. These families came together to create the premiere travel experience for AmaWaterways’ guests.

2017 marked the arrival of AmaWaterways’ 20th ship with the new AmaKristina, as well as the company’s 15-year anniversary. AmaWaterways will continue to expand its fleet of luxurious, custom-designed ships with plans for three more new ships in Europe.

In 2018, the company welcomes the AmaLea, sister ship to AmaKristina; and then in 2019, the company introduces a new Rhine River ship, AmaMora, sister ship to AmaLea, and on the Douro River, AmaWaterways will debut the 102-passenger AmaDouro. Also in 2019, AmaWaterways will unveil its biggest ship ever with the AmaMagna, representing a game-changing new design elevating modern luxury even further. See AmaMagna: River Cruising’s Answer To Small Luxury Ocean Ships

Inside The Ships of AmaWaterways

As a family-owned and operated company dedicated solely to river cruising, AmaWaterways’ executives focus all of their time and effort on perfecting the art of delivering the quintessential river cruise experience for their guests. This has led to award-winning ships inspired by luxury yachts and designed specifically to maximize every aspect of the guest experience.

Innovative stateroom design features unique twin balconies with both a French balcony and outside balcony, so guests can enjoy the views however they wish. There are also staterooms with connecting rooms to accommodate more than two guests for families and groups who wish to travel together. Other amenities include a variety of dining venues, sun deck walking track and heated pool with swim-up bar, well-equipped fitness room and a fleet of onboard bicycles (for onshore exploration), as well as massage and hair salon.

Nearly all staterooms aboard AmaCello and her sisters feature French Balconies. Photo courtesy of AmaWaterways.

Gold Medal Dining

Guests give AmaWaterways’ cuisine rave reviews. And that comes as no surprise, considering that Executive Chef Primus Perchtold is a three-time gold medal-winner at the European Championship of Culinary Art. All AmaWaterways’ ships in Europe are also members of the prestigious La Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs, an international gastronomic society dedicated to fine cuisine. AmaWaterways’ culinary team crafts menus with the finest and freshest local ingredients. Selections change daily, featuring locally-inspired gourmet cuisine and traditional favorites.

AmaWaterways offers a variety of dining venues—at no additional charge—including The Chef’s Table specialty restaurant. Guests watch as the chef prepares a true tasting menu with three appetizers, a champagne sorbet intermezzo, three main courses and three decadent desserts—all paired with carefully hand-selected wines reflective of the places visited.

Guests can enjoy unlimited complimentary wines from Europe’s great wine regions, beer and soft drinks with lunch and dinner on board, as well as sparking wine during breakfast.

The AmaWaterways Difference:

Spacious river view staterooms and suites range from 160 square feet to 350 square feet and most include the revolutionary signature twin balconies—a French balcony and a full outside balcony.

Experienced and dedicated Cruise Manager who accompanies you throughout your entire journey, both on land and on your cruise

With a high staff-to-guest ratio on our ships, our team is fully dedicated to providing each guest with the highest level of genuine service with a smile

Wellness Program offering a variety of exercise classes; discussion groups with a focus on healthy eating and relaxation. Select sailings in 2018; All European sailings in 2019 (excluding Portugal).

Key Points of Differentiation

AmaVida entered service along the Douro in 2013. She is shown here in Porto, Portugal. Photo courtesy of AmaWaterways.

As the trendsetter in river cruising, AmaWaterways has garnered several prestigious awards in 2016, including Berlitz. Out of 310 river cruise ships reviewed by the premier travel authority Berlitz—based on accommodations, dining, service and other onboard features—AmaWaterways received the top ten highest-rated ships in Europe.

Innovative Twin-Balcony Staterooms

AmaWaterways has maximized its guest stateroom views with not one, but two private balconies—a French balcony and a full outside balcony.

Top-of-the-line Exclusive Entertainment-on-Demand Center

Every stateroom on AmaWaterways has an Entertainment-on-Demand center, featuring complimentary high-speed Internet access via a flat screen monitor featuring movies, news, sports and satellite TV, as well as a large selection of music channels.

Generous Beverage Policy

Guests can start the day off sipping complimentary sparkling wine, coffee, tea and fresh juice at breakfast. For lunch and dinner, indulge in fine wines distinctive of the regions visited, beer and soft drinks, and be treated to a Sip & Sail daily cocktail hour.

Luxurious Stateroom Surroundings

AmaWaterways’ Twin Balcony Stateroom.

AmaWaterways elegantly appointed spacious stateroom and suite appointments include white-on-white plush bedding, terry bathrobes and slippers, high-quality bath and body products and bottled water replenished daily. Suites include added enhancements, such as larger sitting areas and expansive bathrooms with both a shower and bathtub. On some twin-balcony ships, there are staterooms with connecting doors, as well as triple accommodations, making river cruising more convenient for friends and family who wish to travel together.

A Menu of Complimentary Shore Excursions

AmaWaterways recognizes every traveler is unique, so the company has carefully curated a menu of included excursions to tempt even the most seasoned travelers. Guests have the freedom and flexibility to choose from a range of guided tours.

For guests who wish to get more active, guided hiking and biking adventures take travelers well beyond the typical tourist paths, deep into the rich culture and natural beauty.

“Special Interest Tours” encourage further immersion into local culture. Authentic Belgian waffles and chocolate making in Antwerp; picnicking in the terraced vineyards of Portugal; or learning how to cook quintessential French cuisine in Provence, are just a few examples. Along with being intertwined with these deeply enriching experiences, guests can take excursions designed to showcase the renowned highlights, as well.

Health & Wellness

AmaWaterways has always been passionate about promoting health and wellness. As the first river cruise line to provide complimentary bicycles and safety helmets, AmaWaterways is always looking to further activate guest vacations and has expanded its popular guided hiking and biking tours throughout its European itineraries as well as the Wellness Program. A Wellness host leads exercise classes and discussion groups with a focus on healthy eating and relaxation (Select sailings in 2018; All European sailings in 2019 (excluding Portugal).

In addition, guests can keep up their exercise routine on board while soaking in the panoramic views with a jog around the track or taking a dip in the pool on the sun deck. Later, they can unwind with a massage and indulge in a variety of healthy cuisine options with menus featuring gluten-free and vegetarian choices.

The Finest Cruise Managers

AmaWaterways’ Cruise Managers are your hosts while you are traveling with them. The company hires only the very the most talented, knowledgeable and experienced in the industry. All skillfully trained and educated with years of experience means you can be assured exceptional levels of professional and personalized service throughout your entire journey both on board and on shore. Customer service, attention to detail and passenger satisfaction are AmaWaterways’ hallmarks.

The Special AmaWaterways Philosophy

AmaWaterways loves providing its guests with the best travel experiences possible. In fact, “Ama” is derived from the Latin word for “love.” It is a concept that permeates every aspect of their river cruises, from the design of the ships to the development of itineraries to the high levels of service delivered to guests. AmaWaterways is always looking to innovate, offer exciting new destinations and add extra value for each and every guest.

If there’s a secret to AmaWaterways success, it’s the company’s distinct business style. It is an efficiently run, hands-on company, with short lines of communication to owners and executives. You’ll always get a live person answering the phone during business hours, never a recording. Throughout its years of exponential growth, AmaWaterways has maintained a warm and family type atmosphere in the company.

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Comments

I just returned a week ago from a 9 day water cruise on the AmaDara, up the Mekong river. What an amazing experience. The ship tours were well organized and food on board was outstanding. I would definitely use them again.

Just completed their Tulip cruise. Hard to imagine anyone finding fault with this company. Everyone on board was exceptionally nice. The food was excellent. And the venues great. Really a pretty nice experience.

The descriptions by River Cruise Advisor ofthe various AMA ships are very appealing. Those of you who enjoybicycling may be interested to know that Backroads is planning a series oftrips using AMA river ships as floating hotels. This year, the only BackroadsAMA offering is along the Danube. But starting in 2016, Backroads plans AMAtrips on the Seine, Rhone, Rhine and Duero, as well as the Danube. Sincemy wife and I recently cycled the entire length of the Danube (all the way tothe Black Sea), another trip along the Danube doesn’t interest us. But,thanks in large part to RCA’s report on the AMA ships, we are planning to takeone of the Backroads AMA Rhine cruise bicycle trips next year.

I am having real problems with AmaWaterways. I left a fleece at Munich Airport which has been handed in. Munich airport will not post it to me, but have given me collection details. So it just needs picking up by AmaWaterways and sending to me. I have asked Fay McCormack in customer services for their help as they visit Munich airport often to pick up passengers flying in. It has been 3 months and they have not been able to arrange collection of the fleece. On the 12th June they said you would be in touch in August. On the 11th August they said they would be in touch by the end of August. On the 28th August they said they hoped you would be in touch in the next few days and nothing happens. It is a semi-expensive item of clothing, but more importantly it has sentimental valueI really find it hard to believe that no one has been to Munich Airport and has had a chance to collectthe lost property item over these months knowing that the cruise extensions involve Munich on a regular basis.

Your experience with the suite sounds just like Viking’s suites. No extra perks!!! Your room is bigger and all the extra you paid for it simply is for size. We too have traveled Uniworld and you get a lot more with the extra expense of the suites, and by the way they are beautiful!! As you know Uniworld went All inclusive this season. That means All !!!! Not sure about some of the others, but I don’t think Viking ever will.

Recently returned from a river cruise on the river Garonne. We were traveling in your vehicle. http://djanga.ru/2013/11/garonna-647km/ We loved it! Provence charming, small wineries, delicious food and wine, friendly people! And it is not expensive, will definitely return to this land!

By way of contrast to the “d.k.pickens” post, we had a marvelous time with AMA Waterways. Did the Tulip Time cruise and everything was spot on wonderful. We were on the AmaDolce and are going again in about 7 weeks for the Rivers & Castles cruise. We had a Violin Deck cabin up front. Wonderful. Excellent service, food, excursions, and staff.

Arles to Lyon April 12th-19th 2012. DO NOT PAY FOR THE SUITE! not worth the money. there is no extra service added on to the suite. nothing. nada. we had a junior suite at uniwolrd with free room service, free appetizers, and free laundry. we had an extra dinner options with ‘selected’ guests – all suite guests.

i was just told that i am not allowed to do my own laundry – i HAVE to pay. and of course – there is no laundromat.i do not feel comfortbale of somebody else doing my own laundry. this just adds on to the cost of the suite ::: – after traveling for the last 10 days we do have quite a lot of dirty laundry. (counting on a laundromat)

today at lunch we never get a waiter’s attention until we complained after 20 min. waiting. until then we had not even water on the table and no knowledge of a ‘menu’ at all. we were under the impression that the lunch consisted of the salad bar that was available freely.

there is no room to sit at the diner time. the dinner affair is a mess hall atmosphere and people line up before the restaurant opens up for the best seats/tables.then it’s so loud that the feeling of a peacedul vacation disappears withihn 10 min and you get a headache…last night we couldn’t find a table – until the end of the room – where it was so tight that my husband couldn’t sit there at all – we had to move the table to ‘add’ on to the other table and change the chairs. we felt very uncomfortable. so much so that my husband is refusing to go to dinner at all …

[…] become its Viking Douro as the line pioneers its first foray into Portugal. Also worth watching: AmaWaterways inaugurates both the brand new AmaVida and its own itineraries along Portugal’s Douro […]

[…] AmaWaterways is bringing the size game to the Danube in 2019, when it takes delivery of its brand-new AmaMagna. Upon her debut, she will be one of the widest river cruise ships afloat – and that gives her designers plenty of opportunities to innovate. […]

[…] River Victoria will be joined on the Volga by the newly renovated 212-passenger Amakatarina. AMAWATERWAYS has signed a five-year lease agreement with the ship’s owner, Russian company Vodohod. The […]

[…] AmaWaterways first introduced sailings on the Mekong River in September 2009, when the 92-passenger La Marguerite was launched. Earlier this year, AMAWATERWAYS announced that it plans to introduce a second 124-passenger ship on the Mekong that will launch in summer 2011. […]

[…] right now has been the addition of more active, immersive excursions. River cruise lines like AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, CroisiEurope and others, are including bicycling excursions, soft adventure […]

[…] AmaWaterways’ AmaLotus moored mid-stream last night just off of the picturesque Vietnamese town of Sa Dec. Modernization is much more obvious here than in Cambodia; on our boat journey from the AmaLotus into town for the start of our morning walking tour, cranes and excavators could be seen working on the harbor. […]

[…] AmaWaterways’ AmaLotus weighed anchor just after 7 this morning and moved away from her berth in Phnom Penh as we prepared to spend a relaxing day sailing down the Mekong River, bound for Vietnam. […]

[…] to grow in popularity for river cruisers and the companies that operate along the storied waterway. AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, CroisiEurope, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Viking River […]

[…] AmaWaterways didn’t have to cancel any sailings, instead choosing to take guests as far as possible on one vessel before swapping them to another, if necessary. While it sounds like an inconvenience, this let AmaWaterways operate all of its cruises with only minimal modifications, and at the same time allowed guests to experience several different cruise ships in a single week. It’s not ideal, but is a bit of a neat perk if you’re a ship person. […]

[…] Circle both have European fleets of 12 river cruise ships apiece, while Avalon Waterways has 14. AmaWaterways comes in with a fleet of 13 European-based river cruise vessels. Viking clearly bests them in the […]

[…] AmaWaterways returns to the Mekong once again in 2017 with another spectacular season. The line was one of the first North American-based river cruise lines to begin operations on the Mekong. In just a few short years, the line has launched new ships, fine-tuned its itinerary, and perfected its land programs. […]

[…] AmaWaterways’ new AmaKristina will feature triple-occupancy cabins in a move to better court multi-generational families wishing to take a river cruise along the waterways of Europe. The line has partnered with Adventures by Disney once again, and has developed special programs designed to encourage kids to embrace travel – and parents to embrace river cruises. […]

[…] photos of your vacation through some of the most picturesque waterways of the world. Now, AMAWATERWAYS wants those pictures to earn you something equally breathtaking: the chance to win a free 7-night […]

[…] AmaWaterways recently announced their first-ever itineraries sailing through the famed Bordeaux wine producing region of France, highlighting 22 Taste of Bordeaux sailings that will be operated aboard the 146-guest AmaDolce beginning in the spring of 2016. […]

[…] AmaWaterways has dual balconies in the staterooms on its newest ships (a full step-out balcony and a French balcony); Tauck has loft staterooms on its newest vessels; Viking River Cruises sails a fleet of Longships, with the main corridors offset in order to achieve a greater variety of stateroom configurations, including “true” suites that feature separated living and sleeping spaces. In many ways, Viking’s Longships bring the same styles of accommodations ocean cruisers might expect to the waterways of Europe. […]

[…] AmaWaterways offers two options for all cruise packages. You can take the cruise only, or you can choose to combine land and cruise packages. The river cruises are between Vilshofen and Budapest or Rousse, or they are between Budapest and Rousse […]

[…] Did you know this week is National Cruise Vacation Week? We have to admit it snuck up on us, too. However, you didn’t have to know this week was a special one in the world of cruising to take advantage of a special offer from AmaWaterways. […]

[…] to grow in popularity for river cruisers and the companies that operate along the storied waterway. AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, CroisiEurope, Uniworld Boutique River Cruise Collection and Viking River Cruises […]

[…] AmaWaterways may have gotten it start along the Danube, but it is the line’s most exotic itineraries that are turning heads. By the time this post is on your screen, AmaWaterways will have just introduced their newest – and quite possibly most exotic – destination: The Ayeyarwady. […]

[…] demand. Avalon Waterways launches its first voyages down the mighty Amazon River this year, while AmaWaterways explores Myanmar (Burma) for the first time aboard the intimate, 56-guest AmaPura. Exotic voyages […]

[…] demand. Avalon Waterways launches its first voyages down the mighty Amazon River this year, while AmaWaterways explores Myanmar (Burma) for the first time aboard the intimate, 56-guest AmaPura. Exotic voyages […]

[…] A couple of my very best trips were with my kids: With my son, ‘Awesome’ Alaska: The Great Land Through The Eyes Of A Kid (on Holland America Line) & with my daughter, a Mekong River Cruise (on AmaWaterways). […]

[…] s1); })(); TweetFollowing on the success of its In Celebration of Wine theme cruises this year, AmaWaterways has announced the return of these unique voyages for the 2013 calendar year, with expanded […]

[…] s1); })(); TweetEveryone likes being on the receiving end of good news, and this week AmaWaterways was honored to win the 2012 TravelAge West WAVE (Western Agents’ Votes of Excellence) Award for […]

[…] down the beautiful Danube River that we experienced this past December. Thought we sailed with AmaWaterways aboard its intimate AmaLyra, this is much the same type of experience provided by all river cruise […]

[…] s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); TweetIn case you missed the news on its Facebook page, AmaWaterways has posted a few tantalizing photographs of the newest member of its fleet: the 164-passenger […]

[…] would probably suit him best. Along with Kristin Karst and Jimmy Murphy, Schreiner co-founded AmaWaterways in 2002. Just 10 years later, the line has grown to encompass a fleet of nine luxurious ships in […]

[…] deep and fully immerse themselves in local history and cuisine on their river cruise experiences, AmaWaterways has introduced just the program for you. The 2009-built AmaDolce docked in Budapest, Hungary. Photo […]

[…] you’ve always wanted to see the best of France from the convenience of a river cruise ship, AmaWaterways has just the itinerary for you. Next year, the line is offering and 11-day Paris and Normandy […]

[…] standard weeklong river cruise just isn’t enough time to spend in the historic embrace of Europe, AmaWaterways has put together just the itinerary for you: a spectacular, 21-day journey that begins in […]

[…] Asia’s mighty Yangtze and Mekong rivers. Not content to rest on their laurels, California-based AmaWaterways wants you to consider a new destination: Africa. The magic of Africa is featured on three new […]

[…] s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); TweetExactly one month ago today, I embarked AmaWaterways’ stunning AmaLyra in the historic German port of Nuremberg. Now that the Holiday season has passed […]

[…] marks the beginning of eight days of live coverage here on River Cruise Advisor as we sail aboard AmaWaterways beautiful AmaLyra to some of the most fascinating Christmas Markets in Europe. Salzburg, Austria is […]

[…] legendary Volga, Egypt’s Nile, and Asia’s mighty Mekong. Now, award-winning river cruise line AmaWaterways wants to add another contender to that list: Africa. The Zambezi Queen will transport guests to the […]

[…] history of Russia’s Volga, and the exotic beauty of Asia’s Mekong and Yangtze. For its part, AmaWaterways wants you to experience Asia like never before with a captivating journey on their Vietnam, […]

[…] Fall August 11th, 2011 . by Ralph Grizzle This fall is shaping up to be an exciting time for AmaWaterways. Recognizing the growing demand for river cruising, the line is launching a series of hosted wine […]

[…] Fall August 11th, 2011 . by Ralph Grizzle This fall is shaping up to be an exciting time for AmaWaterways. Recognizing the growing demand for river cruising, the line is launching a series of hosted wine […]

[…] s1.parentNode.insertBefore(s, s1); })(); TweetThis fall is shaping up to be an exciting time for AmaWaterways. Recognizing the growing demand for river cruising, the line is launching a series of hosted wine […]

[…] TweetAlthough a heat wave is sweeping large parts of North America, as far as California-based AmaWaterways is concerned it’s Christmas in July. The line recently announced their new “Companion Flies […]

[…] TweetWhile most news releases typically deal with new ships or itineraries, this latest one from AMAWATERWAYS caught our eye. Besides offering river cruises throughout the beautiful waterways of Europe, […]

[…] popular are these cruises that they’re offered by nearly every river cruise line, including AmaWaterways, Avalon Waterways, Tauck World Discovery, Uniworld, and Viking River Cruises. If you’ve never been […]

Can’t Find What You Need?

Comparing River Cruise Companies

Most river cruise vessels are the same length, the same width and they have the same number of decks. And many sail the same rivers on similar itineraries. But there are some key differentiators that can make or break your cruise, depending on what's included, and more often, what's not.

How To Choose Your River Cruise

Choosing a river cruise can be a source of consternation, confusion and frustration. In Europe alone there are more than two dozen navigable rivers and canals. Add the confluence of companies offering seemingly similar experiences and you might just end up feeling as though you’re going upriver without a paddle, so to speak.

Price Comparisons

Comparative 2018 pricing for river cruises in similar staterooms across all operators. Broken down by river and region. For comparison purposes, we looked for staterooms of equivalent sizes and features, namely those with French balconies or step-out balconies. Find out what you should be paying (or could be paying) for your river cruise.

My Live Reports From The Rivers

In 2017, I cruised on Crystal, Avalon, AmaWaterways, Viking, Scenic, CroisiEurope and Emerald Waterways. Read about these cruises (and check out the videos that my team and I produced) for inspiration of what might work for you. You can also read about my cruises from 2016 and 2015, from cruises on luxury hotel barges to river cruise ships plying the Rhine, Danube and more. You'll find a treasure trove of free resources to help you choose your cruise.